Monday, December 26, 2016

I hope Santa was as generous to everyone else as he was to me. He brought extra gifts this year. Shiver and Chico got several goodies too, which they're particularly pleased about. Because Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, I'm off on Monday too. That in itself is a gift!

It's been awhile since I've done one of these, and now seemed like as good a time as any to do another one. The questions all came from here.

1. What keeps you up at night?
Worries. I mostly worry about not being able to pay the bills and about losing my boys. Sometimes if a situation is coming up soon and I'm particularly anxious about it, that'll keep me up too.

2. What's the last music you purchased? (online, CD, whatever)
I bought a song from the Alexander Hamilton soundtrack on iTunes yeterday.

3. What scent (candle, soap, perfume) do you think should be banned because it's just so annoying?
I've never particularly like vanilla and if it's really strong, sometimes it makes me feel nauseous.

4. Show and tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.

This picture is labeled as food coloring. I don't have a memory of the actual event, but I do remember my parents discussing it several times through the years as I grew up. My parents had colored eggs for Easter while my brothers and I were sleeping. I was quite young still and apparently woke up before anyone else in the house. Food coloring bottles were left out and within my reach so I grabbed them, ran off to my room, and sprayed the color all over at least one wall. My parents painted the room when we moved, but the food coloring bled through -- even after several coats.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Monday, December 12, 2016

Not only is it cold outside, I actually have a cold. The people at work like to share. Everyone seems to have it, so I was destined to get it too. Instead of shopping for Christmas presents, I spent the weekend in bed with a fever. It's been awhile since I've had a cold and this one feels like it's hit harder than usual. Shiver was quite the pain between trying to steal my tissues and insisting on being petted. Chico was his usual sweet and cuddly self. Took some Nyquil Saturday night and had some very weird dreams. Feeling better now, just wish the extremely stuffy nose would clear up.

We've gotten our first and second snow, then the rain came and washed it all away. The rain froze, making driving dangerous. We're due even more snow in the coming week. The boys hate the white stuff and it's hard to get them to go out in it to do their business.

My contract was supposed to end with my current job at the beginning of the year. Thankfully, it has been extended another month. My boss says she thinks they'll probably keep me at least through March. The department is closing sometime in the new year, so I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay on. I'm just extremely grateful and hope I can continue working there for awhile longer. I'd just barely started to get some bills paid down, then Shiver got sick and now I'm right back to where I was before I started, debt-wise.

Shiver is still doing well. He still isn't 100% back to normal, but close enough. He just has one very small side effect that doesn't affect his quality of life. He's down to being weaned off one last medication and if all goes well, he won't need to go back on them. Chico is also doing well. Looking at them, I don't think anyone else would ever guess that anything was wrong with either of them.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Monday, November 28, 2016

Shiver had a follow up appointment this past Saturday. We saw a different vet this time. He's seen Shiver several times for various other things, so I wasn't too concerned that it wasn't the same one we saw two weeks ago. After reading the other vet's notes and talking with me, he said he was pretty sure that Shiver suffered from idiopathic vestibular disease. After reading this article, I'm certain he's right. Shiver has recovered phenomenally, with only one small side effect. He'll finish up the three medications he's currently on, then I'll watch him closely. He may be able to go off them completely or he may need to be on them permanently, only time will tell.

We received a 5 pound bag of Victor Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food from Chewy. It came at just the right time!

Shiver and Chico are both currently taking prednisone, which is supposed to increase their appetites and thirst. Neither one had been eating very much at all for several days in a row and that was very worrisome. I think that since this was new and different, it piqued their interest and got them back to eating again. They both seem to really enjoy it. I like that each piece is small and fits in their little chihuahua mouths perfectly. Some of the reviews on the Chewy website say they wish they food was a little larger, but it's just right for my boys.

One of the key benefits that I really liked is that 88% of the protein comes from meat, poultry, and fish. It also supports healthy immune and digestive systems. Both boys have compromised immune systems, so it's important to me to feed them something healthy. Best of all, it's made in the USofA. They've only been eating it about a week so there hasn't really been time to notice a difference in their coats, so it'll be interesting to watch for any improvements.

My boys give this eight paws up!

We were not compensated financially for this post, but were provided a free bag of treats in return for our honest opinions.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Monday, November 21, 2016

As some of you may know from this post on the POTP blog, Shiver was not doing very well. Two weeks ago I noticed that sometimes his breathing seemed labored. It wasn't all the time, but often enough to be concerning. I made an appointment with the vet for Monday, November 14th.

Saturday, November 12th, I had come home from an afternoon of fun and errands. I believe I was in the process of gathering laundry when I heard a small thump. I walked to the bedroom to see what was going on when I discovered Shiver lying on his side, turning himself in a circle with his back legs, and his neck was at a really odd angle. Chico had jumped on top of him and was barking. I picked Shiver up off the floor and put him on the bed. He clearly was not alert and he couldn't stand. Off to the vet we rushed.

The vet wasn't able to give us any answers other than he has a really bad heart murmur, which I already knew. I just didn't realize it was so bad though. We were there for two hours and the vet finally said we could go home. It was a really long night, with me worrying constantly about Shiver and how I would be able to care for him. He'd put me right back where I'd started debt-wise, before I started working. I used up every last penny on my credit card to pay for his tests and medication, but he's completely worth it.

We kept our appointment for the 14th and I worried that since Shiver still wasn't walking that the vet would tell me it was time to put him down. He still couldn't walk, but he was doing so much better and was so much more alert. The vet said it wasn't time for him to cross the rainbow bridge quite yet and scheduled us to come back in two weeks. Shiver is now on three different medications and the cost, combined with Chico's meds, comes to about $50 a month. Yikes!

Anyway, my mom kept Shiver for the week and each day he has gotten better and better. He's walking now, he's started to play with his toys a little bit more, he's much more alert, and he's slowly returning back to his old self. He's not 100% yet and I can still see some lingering side effects from whatever happened to him, but he's a fighter and I know he's going to be alright.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers. That meant a lot and I'm incredibly grateful. Everyone's prayers have helped Shiver recover. I don't know if he'll ever be "normal" again; this may be our new normal. And that's OK. I'm just appreciating every moment I have with Shiver and Chico.

Monday, October 31, 2016

The boys are always excited whenever we get a new package from Chewy. This month we ordered a 5 ounce bag of Zuke's Enhance Mobility Peanut Butter Formula Dog Treats. Chewy also offers this product in chicken flavor. Both chi's are senior citizens now and while their mobility seems to be just fine, one can always use an extra layer of support. It's designed specifically for hip and joint health and is perfect for senior dogs.

The dosage you give depends on weight. My boys weigh less than 25 pounds combined, so they each get one chew daily. You could give them a double dose during the first four to six weeks of use, but I only gave them one. I somehow glossed over the cautions section until now and haven't always administered the treat before or after eating. This explains Shiver's upset stomach and now I know how I could have avoided that. It does not seem to have bothered Chico's stomach at all, which isn't as sensitive as Shiver's. I also didn't heed Zuke's advice to have an exam by a vet prior to using the product.

As you can see, each bite is the ideal size for small mouths. Shiver gobbles them down; Chico doesn't have as many teeth and it takes him a little longer to eat them. The boys have only been on these for about 10 days. I've not noticed a change in Shiver, however, his mobility has never been an issue. Chico does seem to have a slightly easier time going up and down the two stairs in the garage whenever he goes out. I'll continue Chico on these for sure. At only $7.99 a bag, it will be well worth it.

The boys give these 7 paws up out of 8.

We were not compensated financially for this post, but were provided a free bag of treats in return for our honest opinions.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Monday, October 24, 2016

Took this fromhere. 1. You're having a nightmare and have to choose between three doors. Pick one and tell us about who is on the other side.

If I'm having a nightmare and am facing three doors, my guess is that I'm being chased. I remember in my Psychology 101class in college that given a choice, most people will choose to go right if they're lost and faced with a fork in the road (metaphorically or otherwise). The reason behind it is that most people are uncomfortable going left for whatever reason. So I'd go left because I feel like whatever is chasing me is less likely to find me there. And behind that door on the left would be my father, waiting there to protect me from whatever harm is in the way. 2. If you had to choose between being deaf or blind, which would you choose and why?

I've put too much thought than I probably should have to this question over the years. My answer was always to be deaf, because I can't imagine not ever being able to see. Talking with others who have chosen blindness, I do have to question my decision slightly. Not being able to hear means I'd miss out on music, movies, etc. And it would be lonely not being able to converse with most people. Still, I think I'd rather be deaf than blind. Hopefully I'll never have to experience either one. Which would you choose?

3. How do you manage your online privacy? Are there certain things you won't post in certain places? Information you'll never share online? Or do you assume information about you is accessible anyway?

As you know, I don't use my real name on my blog. I do that because I like the anonymity of being able to say what I want without having to worry about someone in my real life questioning anything I say or do online. I can say how I feel or talk about my perspective and not have to worry about someone in real life stumbling across it and being offended or upset or anything.

I have a facebook page under my real name. I used to not really put too much thought into what I posted until I had an interview for an internship and the woman said she wanted to warn me that she'd be examining my social media accounts in a day or two, which would give me an opportunity to clean it up. She then proceeded to give me quite the lecture about being super careful about the things I post online and how it can prevent jobs and may even follow you in unexpected ways if you aren't careful. That interview was absolutely miserable and I did not expect to ever hear back from the woman again. I have a senator to thank for that internship because he called in a favor for me. Anyway, I didn't really check my page then because I didn't think I'd get the internship. However, I've tried to make sure that my facebook page is kind of generic now and to keep things positive because of that interview.

I've not posted my picture on my facebook page. I've been tagged in a few pictures and will untag myself anytime that happens because the pictures have always been TERRIBLE!!! One such picture was taken at an such odd angle and made it look like I had 5 chins. I wasn't even aware that anyone was taking my picture at that moment and was very unhappy to have it be so public. I said something to the guy who tagged me like, "Gee, could you have chosen a worse picture?" He said posting pictures of myself is a great way for people to get to know me better. That's not the side of myself I would want anyone to know. I immediately untagged myself, but not before hearing several others comment about seeing my picture on facebook.

4. Show and tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.

This reminds of two things. The first one is just how much I miss having a kitty around. I didn't have one when I was growing up because my mom is allergic to them. I got my first one as an adult. When Scratches passed away, it was too soon for another kitty so I got another chi instead because Shiver was extremely upset at being left alone anytime I had to leave the house. I think about getting another one sometimes, but I don't think I'll do that until Chico is gone.

This picture also reminds me of my college days. I was so exhausted ALL. THE. TIME., no matter how much sleep I'd gotten the night before or how long of a nap I'd taken after coming home. I was constantly on the go and by the time I got home at night, all I could think about was how much homework I still had left to do. Most of my assignments consisted of writing papers and I feel asleep more than once trying to finish them up. As worn out as it made me feel on a constant basis, I still really really really miss it.